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How to deal with a workplace bully

Bullying is defined as repeated less favorable treatment of a person by another or others in the workplace, which may be considered unreasonable and inappropriate in workplace practice. It includes behavior to intimidate, offend, degrade, humiliate, undermine or threaten.

Bullying is physical or psychological behavior, or conduct where strength (including strength of personality) and/or a position of power is misused by a person in a position of authority, or by a person who perceives that they are in a position of power or authority.

There are bound to be occasional differences of opinion, conflicts and problems in working relations - these are part of working life. But when the behavior is unreasonable and offends or harms you, then workplace bullying exists and should not be tolerated.

Bullying may take place between:

A worker and a manager (or supervisor)

Co-workers

A worker and another person in the workplace, eg. a student.

A bully is equally likely to be male or female.

Bullying May be Overt or Covert Overt Bullying

Examples of overt bullying include:

Abusive behavior towards another employee such as threatening gestures or actual violence.

Aggressive, abusive or offensive language, including threats or shouting.

Demeaning remarks.

Constant unreasonable and nonconstructive criticism.

Examples of covert bullying include:

Deliberate exclusion, isolation or alienation of the employee from normal work interaction, such as intentionally excluding the employee from meetings.

Placing unreasonably high work demands on one employee, but not on others.

Allocation of demeaning jobs or meaningless tasks only.

Unreasonably ignoring the employee.

Undermining another employee, including encouraging others to "gang up" on the employee.

Deliberately withholding information that a person needs to perform her or his job role.

Repeated refusal of requests for leave or training without adequate explanation and suggestion or alternatives.